The Aussie Pinball Arcade

Aussie Pinball Forums => Restorations => Topic started by: Top Card on December 05, 2016, 01:20:47 PM

Title: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Top Card on December 05, 2016, 01:20:47 PM
I picked up this Gottlieb Magnotron last week so this will be my attempt at a full restoration. I have had a quick look through it and it is pretty good shape, especially the backglass. It lights up but does not start but hopefully this is nothing major. (It has been in storage for a while). There are a couple of broken plastics, the front door is a write off and the chime box is missing, so these are obvious replacements and I am sure I will uncover more as I go along.
Looking forward to the journey,
Dan
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Pop Bumper Pete on December 05, 2016, 02:14:04 PM
There is a new chime box available, it sounds right
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Strangeways on December 06, 2016, 10:13:33 AM
Awesome purchase Dan. Will be following with interest. Do you have schematics etc ?

Chime Box - as Pete mentioned - you can get them as repro items overseas, or USA eBay (second hand). Maybe Daniel (DDSTOYS) has one floating around.
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Top Card on December 06, 2016, 04:55:57 PM
The schematic is somewhere between Marco and here. Hopefully closer to here.
Dan
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Mr Pinbologist on December 06, 2016, 06:34:16 PM
Awesome purchase Dan. Will be following with interest. Do you have schematics etc ?

Chime Box - as Pete mentioned - you can get them as repro items overseas, or USA eBay (second hand). Maybe Daniel (DDSTOYS) has one floating around.

Original chime boxes seem to me to be rare as rockin' horse shit, and most people who have one or two stashed away will NOT part with them  *.* *.* well that has been MY experience anyway from two AP members who i asked on behalf of a client chasing one.

Anyway back on topic, looks like a good score, the playfield looks like it'll clean up nicely! Looking forward to seeing how it turns out  ^^^
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Top Card on December 07, 2016, 02:53:23 PM
Struck my first snag last night. As I said before the machine does not start. So I plugged it in, turned it on and started to have a bit of a look around. After a few seconds a relay somewhere pulled in, started buzzing, then smoking. Bother. (Turned out to be the 1st Ball Relay which was pulling in as soon as the power was applied. Not sure if this is correct operation or not. No schematic yet). Turned the machine off using the underneath switch. Then crack, pop, lots of smoke. Either the transformer or this thing (maybe a line filter ?) have died. I will not get a chance for proper look until the weekend. Disappointingly no fuse blew, either for the relay smoking or whatever else shorted.
More updates next week,
Dan
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: greenechidna on December 13, 2016, 11:00:43 PM
I got to play a Duotron (the 2 player version) at Manly Wharf in 1974 the day it was delivered....didn't get the 1st game but saw it wheeled out into the lineup and had to wait more than an hour to get a game.

Yeah Mitch, those chimeboxes are hard to part with...you just know youre going to need it eventually
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Top Card on December 14, 2016, 02:12:57 PM
From reading other forums and stuff it seems like removing the chime box from machines in Germany was not uncommon. I guess they did not like sounds much as the knocker had one of the wires disconnected as well. That probably means that there is (or was) a warehouse full of chime boxes somewhere in Germany.
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: ddstoys on December 14, 2016, 02:14:58 PM
I did a Magnatron with my son several years ago it's still in a friends collection he loves it.

  Sadly no complete chime boxes
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Strangeways on December 14, 2016, 02:22:25 PM
Struck my first snag last night. As I said before the machine does not start. So I plugged it in, turned it on and started to have a bit of a look around. After a few seconds a relay somewhere pulled in, started buzzing, then smoking. Bother. (Turned out to be the 1st Ball Relay which was pulling in as soon as the power was applied. Not sure if this is correct operation or not. No schematic yet). Turned the machine off using the underneath switch. Then crack, pop, lots of smoke. Either the transformer or this thing (maybe a line filter ?) have died. I will not get a chance for proper look until the weekend. Disappointingly no fuse blew, either for the relay smoking or whatever else shorted.
More updates next week,
Dan

That silver box is the EMI Filter, and MartyJ and I watched one go up in smoke once and it was quite an experience !

You will need to replace the EMI Filter. Jaycar have a plastic version, but the version I use is a metal version from Rockby Electronics.

https://www.rockby.com.au/SearchresSql_12.cfm?Searchkey=EMI+Filter (https://www.rockby.com.au/SearchresSql_12.cfm?Searchkey=EMI+Filter)

The 10Amp version is fine.
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Top Card on December 14, 2016, 11:25:20 PM
Thanks Nino. I will add it to my shopping list
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Top Card on March 02, 2017, 09:15:39 PM
After a few delays I am finally ready to start work. So where should I start. Cabinet repaint, playfield repair and touchup, stepper motor and contact cleanup. Is there a known good path or is it up to each persons personal choice. All input is appreciated,

Dan
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Strangeways on March 03, 2017, 10:14:40 AM
From reading other forums and stuff it seems like removing the chime box from machines in Germany was not uncommon. I guess they did not like sounds much as the knocker had one of the wires disconnected as well. That probably means that there is (or was) a warehouse full of chime boxes somewhere in Germany.

With Bally games they were not removed. They were never installed on the production line. The story goes that the German market was big on one armed bandits, and the law allowed for the ratio of one armed bandits to pinballs was one to one. That is, for every one armed bandit, there had to be a pinball. The pinballs were not played as much, but when they were, the clients playing the one armed bandits (gamblers) complained about the noise. So the German importer asked for them to not be installed. Germany was the hub for the European market, so many games from Europe don't have chimes for this reason.
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: plong on March 03, 2017, 11:34:35 PM
You are a wealth of knowledge Nino.
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Top Card on April 08, 2017, 06:08:41 PM
I did some work this afternoon on the metal that surrounds the coin slots using my new grinder and sandpaper. See photo. Largely it came up really well but there is a small area where the rust has actually eaten into the metal.
Is there anything I can do about that, either with more 2000 grit sanding or other processes / products ?

Thanks and regards
Dan
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Top Card on April 14, 2017, 12:27:55 PM
The cleaning and polishing continues. The cleaned side is on the right, not yet cleaned on the left.

Also I am going to have a crack at restoring the coin door as I figure it is a 'throw away' as it is.

Also, also, can anyone advise what to use to stop the metal tarnishing after I have regrained it please.

More later,
Dan
Title: Re: Magnotron EM restoration
Post by: Strangeways on April 14, 2017, 09:35:12 PM
That door is pretty much no good. you can buy repros from Pinball Resource.

You can apply wax to the metal surfaces to arrest further corrosion. But once it has started to rust, it really needs to be re chromed.